iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I knew working in fine-dining restaurants was very tough, but I was still shocked to read about the alleged abuses at Noma, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, often called “the best restaurant in the world”. Noma is doing a fully-booked pop-up in LA from March 11 to June 26. It costs $1500/person.

noma-abuse.com

20 Years. 38 Accounts. Zero Accountability.

Former workers break their silence on decades of abuse at Noma. Physical violence, sexual harassment, exploitation — and the system built to hide it. Read their words.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

I cannot wait to celebrate Ukraine’s win. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

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Reposted by Alina Ioana Manolache

Hannah Al-Othman @hannahalothman.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Just updating my calendar and Shrove Tuesday 🥞, Lunar New Year 🧧, and the start of Ramadan 🌙 are all set to fall on the same day this year (February 17th), which feels pretty special.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Am I listening to too many tennis podcasts? 😅🎧🎾 The Body Serve The Tennis Podcast No Challenges Remaining Tennish Served with Andy Roddick Love All with Kim Clijsters The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast Plus some episodes of: Ground Pass The Gay Tennis Podcast Tennis Insider Club with Caro Garcia

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

A fun pop culture quiz for pro tennis players. My favorite part: Learner Tien asking if Connor Storrie was AI-generated.

youtu.be

Do pro tennis players know pop culture? 🤔😂

YouTube video by Tennis Channel

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

I heard we’re posting non-English bangers. As a Romanian, I simply must remind you of this one.

youtu.be

O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei [Official Video]

YouTube video by Time Records

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

I couldn’t stop listening to this new song from Paris Paloma today. The lyrics are phenomenal. Patriarchy is toxic to everyone.

youtu.be

Paris Paloma - Good Boy (Official Music Video)

YouTube video by Paris Paloma

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

RoZéO by the French circus company Gratte Ciel is one of the most fascinating shows I have ever seen in my life. It was magical. Go and see it live if you get the chance. www.metropolis.dk/en/rozeo/ #art #circus #performance

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

An intriguing artwork. “Robert Longo sees sport as a form of latent warfare. Starting with the Civil War, every war the US has fought has stimulated the emergence of new sports, in which veterans and new recruits compete under new rules and with new weapons.”

‘In Civil War’ (1986) by Robert Longo, shown at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

In Civil War

1986

This stark, violent work is a "combine", a hybrid of picture and sculpture. Eighteen baseball bats are mounted under a black and white silkscreen image, while a steel ribbon traces an outline of the US. The picture was taken during the American Civil War, after the Confederate Army's victory in the first Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. Longo sees sport as a form of latent warfare. Starting with the Civil War, every war the US has fought has stimulated the emergence of new sports, in which veterans and new recruits compete under new rules and with new weapons. This work exemplifies Longo's approach to investigating historical conflicts through iconic images.

Courtesy of the artist

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

I wish a #tennis journalist would ask Jack Draper this question again to see if he’d choose the same people ~3 years later. 👀 www.atptour.com/en/news/drap...

ATP: If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
Jack Draper: There are a lot of controversial ones in there. I'd probably say Donald Trump. Conor McGregor. I feel like we've got to have a comedian in there as well to liven it up a bit. So, l'd probably say Jimmy Carr. I think Trump and McGregor are fascinating people. They obviously got to the pinnacle of what they've done. Very successful. I just think it would be a lot of fun.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

This article mentions “illness” and “suffering from a virus”. During a COVID-19 wave, I’d expect people to at least test for it and mention if it’s been ruled out. Instead, most people use euphemisms and act as if it doesn’t exist.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

“Israel has sought to pursue its campaign of annihilation against Gaza and its people behind closed doors […] to ensure that the outside world only catches sight of Gaza’s horrors in small fragments, and to stifle empathy for those trapped inside by hiding them from view, obscuring their humanity.”

theguardian.com

‘I must document everything’: the film about the Palestinian photographer killed by Israeli missiles in Gaza

Fatma Hassona used poetry and photography to record the death and devastation she saw daily. Was she targeted by the IDF? We speak to the director of Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, a film about ...

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

I’m a tennis fan since 2014 thanks to Simona Halep’s success. I was introduced to Maria Sharapova as a villain in my favorite player’s story. When reading her memoir in 2017, my opinion changed. Listen to @servedpodcast.bsky.social to discover the real Sharapova: grounded, funny, smart & savvy. 🎾

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Reposted by Alina Ioana Manolache

Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 19/06/2025

Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

“I want to be clear – what is being done to Palestinians in Gaza is barbaric and entirely preventable. History will judge not just those who committed these crimes, but those who stood by and watched.”

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Not Catherine making fun of The Killers for mispronouncing Norwich after she mispronounced both Iași and Båstad just minutes earlier on @tennispodcast.bsky.social 🤭

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Reposted by Alina Ioana Manolache

GOSH! @goshtheshow.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

This video from Oslo Pride perfectly explains why queer pride and visibility is so important 🏳️‍🌈 Showing who you are, or who you stand with, is not just decoration. It means there's space for you and that you belong ❤️ #lgbtqia #acceptence #equality #inclusivity #oslopride #trygg #stolt #pride

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

An influencer is selling a stack of 3 old books that “you don’t need to read to feel” for $65. The seemingly AI-generated product description is priceless. 🤦‍♀️

Curated Vintage Book Stack
$65.00 | Past Item

The photo shows three hardcover books stacked under a small metal vessel:
Winsome Womanhood - Sangster
Echoes of the Aesthetic Society
Musical Pastels - Upton

The photo shows three hardcover books stacked under a small metal vessel, in front of a mirror and next to a stone bust:
Winsome Womanhood - Sangster
Echoes of the Aesthetic Society
Musical Pastels - Upton

stories you don't need to read *to feel*

Worn linen spines, softly faded covers, and delicately foxed pages —each vintage book in this curated stack carries a quiet beauty that transcends the written word. Hand-selected for their tonal palette and
timeworn charm, these books add texture, soul, and a sense of history to any interior.

Style them on a coffee table, open shelving, or a nightstand for a collected, storied look that feels effortlessly refined. No two stacks are alike —each is thoughtfully composed with an artful eye for age, patina, and presence.

Product Details:
set of three.
vintage.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

My favorite kind of reviews: tourists absolutely shocked by overhyped cafés they found on Instagram. #onlineisntreal

A review on Google Maps that reads:
“Overpriced, terribly slow service and not so special meals. Would not return. Don't fall for the "instagrammable" shots you're seeing online, it's really not that special unless you want to throw some money away.”

A review on Google Maps that reads:
“Cannot understand how this place is rated is so highly. We were over for the weekend on holiday and ended up here based on reviews and social media.
The menu is very limited, there's no bathroom and you have to wait 30 mins to get in. I've no issue waiting for good food, but its literally sour dough and a boiled egg, maybe a sliced avocado if you order it. The staff work like they're being paid by the hour and can't get sacked.”

A review on Google Maps that reads:
“Pretentious and not in a fun way. The staff acted like they were posing on the beach rather than working in a busy cafe. One guy picked herbs for about 45 mins instead of making any food then rolled his eyes when I asked where it was. The dishes were fine if you lived in 2014 but their fineness did not justify the cost. The toilet is for the staff to style their hair, not for customers obviously. Anyway, this place is the reason I'm calling for the death of 'brunch' - join me in avoiding it.”

A review on Google Maps that reads:
“Just an overrated hype place, but good enough to take a photo of an empty coffee cup on marble windowsill for Instagram. A few crucial points:
1. It is not just a coffee shop, this place is serving breakfast/brunch dishes, so I don't get the idea of not taking reservations and making people wait in line for 0,5-1 hour. Your guests spend around an hour inside the place, so it would be much smarter to get a booking system in place.
2. After waiting an hour in a queue, I had to wait good 15 mins at the counter for my order to be taken because (ATTENTION!) "there is no space on the fridge tabletop to write down your order, so you have to wait until we send some other orders". NONSENSE. Get a piece of paper and write down my order, it is that simple.
3. Had to wait good 30-40 mins for food to come.
4. Sweet pancakes were served before bread and butter. Why would you do that?
5. Please call it "almond sponge cake", not pancakes, pancakes is about something else.
6. The staff is too concentrated on in between conversations instead of giving attention to customers.
7. In general, the place doesn't value customer's time.”

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

I’m so anxious about the Romanian presidential run-off on Sunday. The front-runner, Călin Georgescu, is a far-right conspiracy theorist. In the parliamentary elections last week, about a third of votes went to far-right parties. The rise of extremism in Romania is linked to Russian propaganda.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

“Bread and Roses” is a powerful documentary about the women who fight for human rights and against gender apartheid in Afghanistan ever since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021. They are strong and hopeful. We must stand with them. youtu.be/qEiywFC3tqk

youtu.be

Bread & Roses — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

YouTube video by Apple TV

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

This is just one of the reasons I love libraries.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Here are 3 upcoming tennis-related events in or near Copenhagen. #TennisIsAlive

The poster for Nordic Battle 2024 – Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune, Royal Arena, Copenhagen on 3rd December 2024.

Holger Rune is doing a book signing event at Bog & Idé in Hellerup on 1st December 2024 at 14:00.

The poster for An Evening with Venus Williams, taking place in Næstved on 23rd February 2025.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 01/11/2024

Deciding who to vote for based on the answer to “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” only works if you think about your own well-being above all else.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 26/09/2024

Those who genuinely believe that the US is the greatest country in the world should watch (at least) one season of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 23/09/2024

A big pet peeve of mine: content creators who get engagement by feigning ignorance. For example, how can one make a reel about “trying to understand” Nutri-Score and pretend it’s a big mystery when Wikipedia is free?

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 15/09/2024

This is brilliant! Most people act as if they genuinely believe they’d always be the one in control in a real-life ethical dilemma.

A comic by Alex Krokus showing the trolley problem from the perspective of those who’d get run over by the trolley unless it is diverted.

waking up, desperate-looking blue guy who is tied to a trolley track: zzz-w-what?! where am i?
red guy next to him, also tied to the trolley track: you’re in the trolley problem!
blue guy: i thought i would be the one operating the lever
red guy: no, that's someone else

The “someone else” is shown as a green guy dressed in a suit & hat, with money bags behind him.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 12/09/2024

I love playing MovieGrid.io every day! Highly recommend this little game to fellow cinephiles.

A screenshot showing a 3x3 solved movie grid from last December.

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 11/09/2024

The highest natural point in Denmark is only ~170 meters above sea level, so Mads Mikkelsen’s behavior here is entirely reasonable. ⛰️🍂🌲 youtu.be/dRID0fo-2FQ

youtu.be

Falling for Autumn | Switzerland Tourism

YouTube video by MySwitzerland

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Alina Ioana Manolache @alinamadeinro.bsky.social · 29/01/2024

I’m so happy that the National Art Museum in Timișoara managed to host the most extensive retrospective dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși in his home country of #Romania. Moreover, I’m grateful that I got to see this wonderful exhibition in person!

A sepia photograph of sculptor Constantin Brâncuși and his beloved dog Polaire

“Mademoiselle Pogany” by Constantin Brâncuși at the National Museum of Art in Timișoara, Romania

“Terminal Border” by Constantin Brâncuși at the National Museum of Art in Timișoara, Romania

“The Sleep” by Constantin Brâncuși at the National Museum of Art in Timișoara, Romania

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